I Thought It Was You
by Athena13
Summary: Takes place after the waitress was killed in her place at the AS Diner. John calls Natalie in for late night questioning and discovers that it's not just the KC killer that has her targeted for death. Complete.
1. I Thought It Was You

I Thought It Was You

By Athena13

Note: Takes place after the KC killer misses Natalie in the Diner. For the purposes of this story, Jen is not killed by Daniel and I'm ignoring the Tess/Jess Mess. This story is about Natalie. And John. I have no idea where this is going to go, but it's a story that seems to need to be told.

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Natalie closed the door behind Antonio with a decisive click. She hadn't bothered to turn on any of the lights in the foyer of Llanfair and just stood soaking in the dark, peace of the stately home. After a few minutes the peace turned into a pressing aloneness.

She had been alone since she lost Cristian and that hadn't changed in the nineteen months since he died, except for a few brief moments after the imposter showed up and before he began exhibiting very un-Cristian-like behavior. Tonight, of all nights, it was hitting home more than usual. She had just seen someone dead – in her place – and she came home alone. There were no welcoming arms to hold her. No one to tell her that it was going to be okay. No one for her to believe that it could be true.

And of course, as she had finally stopped denying, she wanted it to be John McBain who was there.

But he wasn't. And not because he was back at the Diner trying to catch the latest Llanview serial killer, but because he was sticking with Evangeline.

For some very brief moments tonight she thought that would cease and he would come back out of his shell and admit his passion for Natalie. Passion she knew he felt, but as soon as he saw his girlfriend the mask had come back on and he had sent her home. And it wouldn't be Natalie's bed that he would climbing into in the wee hours of the morning.

With rubbery legs Natalie walked up the stairs of Llanfair to her bedroom. She opened the door to the empty room with an unbearable heaviness weighing her down. How many tragedies and dramas was she expected to endure without completely breaking? She couldn't help wondering what would happen if she finally gave in to the weight. To the dark that called to her late in the night after she'd awakened from a dream of Cristian or John, or sometimes even Seth. All the men who had left her or let her down. Or both.

Absently, Natalie began to take off the clothes she had put on with such fierce determination earlier that evening after Roxy's call. There were a lot of ways, she knew, that John would ignore and avoid really looking at her. But when she showed her assets he didn't seem able to help himself from looking. She had been planning to use that small weakness to chip away at that wall, as Michael had called it, and to reach inside to him. Like she hadn't been able to do since the imposter had been sent to prison.

As she pulled on a pair of old navy pajama bottoms her cell phone began to ring. Her heart thudded as she recognized the number on the caller id. Her hand trembled slightly as she wondered if she should answer John's call. If he sounded professional and distant she didn't think she could take it.

But she did have a duty to answer, both as a victim and the Commissioner's assistant so she answered.

"Hi, John." She hoped she sounded breezy and upbeat, but she doubted it.

"I need to see you."

Natalie's mouth dropped open at the urgency in his voice.

"When and where?" The words slipped out before she could temper her habitual availability at John's beck and call.

"My office. Now."

"Okay." There she knew her voice sounded wistful.

"You all right?"

Now, she noticed he was whispering.

"Why are you whispering? Are you at Evangeline's?" she asked.

"Um."

An angry look hardened Natalie's features. Her first instinct was to hang up on him. Her second was to say something nasty and desperate.

"Natalie?" John's voice was slightly louder.

"Yeah."

"Will you meet me? I'll have an officer pick you up in a few minutes. I don't want you out there alone."

He didn't want her to be alone. How ironic, Natalie couldn't help thinking. She still didn't feel calm enough to say anything out loud.

"Natalie!" John sounded worried now.

"I'll see you then." She hung up the phone.

Where then hell was she going to get the strength from to deal with him tonight?


	2. Do You Know What It Did To Me?

I Thought it Was You

by Athena13

Thanks to PCGirl and Jibaker for the early reviews! No clue what the point of this story is yet. I'm back to being pissed at weak, coward John. Go JoReaper. Uh Oh.

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Chapter 2

Natalie walked into the police station, Office Roy Delacroix following behind her. She turned and started to thank him for picking her up. He smiled and shook his head, brushing her thanks aside.

"John is waiting in his office." Roy reached over and pushed a wet strand of hair off of Natalie's cheek.

Natalie had taken a quick shower and put on a jeans and a purple t-shirt. Over it she wore a black zippered sweat shirt with white stripes on the arm. It had been her high school boyfriend's when he was junior high. She wore it for comfort when she was feeling particularly fragile. It made her feel tough, like James had when they were in love and he thought Natalie could do no wrong. Her hands were bunched in the pockets, but she didn't feel comforted. Rather, she felt slightly dizzy and nauseous.

She smiled weakly at Roy and passed her desk. As she looked over at Bo's office he came walking out. As she looked at him she felt tears prick her eyes and she began to tremble, again.

"Natalie?" Bo walked quickly over and put his hand on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes and then up at Roy. With a decisive nod at Roy, he put his arm around Natalie's shoulders and pushed her towards his office. He closed the door behind him and pushed Natalie to a sitting position on his couch.

He kneeled down in front of her and took her cold, trembling hands in his.

"Sweetheart, why are you here?"

"John called." Her voice trembled and tears wet her lashes. "I don't feel well." A tear slid down her cheek. Then more followed.

Bo grimaced and waved at someone through his window.

"Get me a blanket," he told the officer who stuck her head in the door.

"Lay down." Bo gently helped Natalie lay down. He took the proffered blanket and put it over his niece.

"Clara, watch her, please."

Bo walked out of his office and took his cell phone out of his pocket. "Paige. You too. Listen, can you come down here. I'm worried about my niece. Yes. Thank you."

Then with measured strides he walked to John's office and entered after a brief knock. John stood up.

"McBain, why did you call Natalie down here in the middle of the night?"

John looked at his boss in surprise. "I wanted to question her." He dropped the file he was reading onto his desk.

"Didn't you do that already? She's in no condition for this."

"What's wrong?" John moved around his desk towards the door of his office.

"She's in shock. She's exhausted."

"She didn't say..."

"She wouldn't, would she? I'm worried about my niece, McBain. The Mayor has pulled protection off Marcie's former roommate and now my niece is a target. I just don't know how much more she can take."

John ran a hand down the back of his hair, his face was stiff with worry.

"I'm going to ask my brother to hire protection for her."

John looked at Bo in surprise.

"Did you think I was going to ask you to protect her? Do you think your girlfriend would like that?"

"It's my job, Bo."

"Taking care of my niece is my job, too. And I think she needs as much protection from you as she does this killer."

"What are you talking about?" John carefully kept his face blank.

"If you need to ask, John, then you aren't much of a detective. Natalie is in my office lying down. I'm going to have Paige check her out. If she gives the okay, you can question her. But only if she gives the okay."

"Uncle Bo." Natalie, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders came up behind Bo who was still standing in the open doorway. "I'll talk to John."

"Natalie, you..."

"Paige can check me out when we're done. I need to answer John's questions. I owe it to Candace."

Bo looked at his niece, studying her damp cheeks and reddened eyes.

"Really. I can do this." Natalie pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I do need you," she whispered in his ear before she pulled away.

Bo put a hand on her arm and looked her in the eye. "I'm not going to let you down."

Natalie bit her lip and nodded, fighting tears.

Bo pressed a kiss to Natalie's forehead before walking out. He closed the door behind him.

Natalie stood in front of the door, her stomach churning as she looked at John. His face was as blank as ever, but his eyes. God, his eyes were a darker blue than she had ever seen. She could feel waves of some emotion pumping out of him at her. More than even in the kitchen that evening.

She involuntarily took a step back.

John closed his eyes at her movement and his hands fisted.

"Please sit down." His voice was harsh with emotion.

Natalie moved forward, but he didn't move out of the way to let her pass.

He opened his eyes and looked her straight in the eye. Natalie's chin lifted in challenge.

John's hands reached up and he slid his fingers through her wet hair. He moved even closer and his hands closed into fists. His eyes bored into her.

Suddenly, without warning, John's face was suddenly open and everything he was feeling was laid bare for her to read. Her breath quickened as she tried to decipher the emotions rolling through him. Anger. Fear. Passion. Terror. Love. Determination. Frustration. Guilt. Lust.

Lust.

Love.

Lust.

Then his lips were crashing down on hers.

Shocked, Natalie dropped the blanket from her shoulders. John pressed himself against her. Her arms wrapped around him and she pressed closer. His arousal heated her. Tempted her. Sucked her in. Just when she was ready to walk away, he sucked her back in.

The tangy taste of his fear and frustration filled her mouth along with his tongue. He was practically swallowing her whole. His body was engulfing hers and his heat spread through her. Warming her. Melting her.

His lips slid down her neck and she tilted her head back and tried to drink in deep gulps of oxygen. She felt even more lightheaded than before. She would have slid bonelessly to the floor if John wasn't holding her up.

"I thought it was you. I thought it was you."

John's frantic whisper reached her ears, freezing her.

She moved her hands to head. She wanted to pull him back. She wanted to press him closer.

John is the one who found the presence of mind to pull back. He didn't let her go. His hands slid from her hair down her back to her hips. His face was centimeters from hers.

"Do you know what it did to me to think that was you?" his voice broke.

She shook her head, unable to form words. Her mind was screaming "tell me, dammit."


	3. Truth Be Told

I Thought It Was You 3

By Athena13

Yeah, McNat, it was an intentional reference. Just when I'm ready to give up on Jolie they suck me back in.

PCGirl - happy birthday! Hope we get a chapter out of you soon!

Thanks everyone else who sends reviews. It's what keeps me writing! And for the record, I have no earthly idea what's going to happen next in this one!

>>>>>>>>  
Chapter 3 - How Does It Feel?  
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John is the one who found the presence of mind to pull back. He didn't let her go. His hands slid from her hair down her back to her hips. His face was centimeters from hers.

"Do you know what it did to me to think that was you?" his voice broke.

She shook her head, unable to form words. Her mind was screaming "tell me, dammit."

Just as John opened his mouth to speak the telephone on his desk began to ring.

"Don't you need to answer that?" Surprisingly, it was Natalie who stepped back.

John frowned as he heard the resignation lacing her voice.

"No. I need to answer you."

"It might be your girlfriend." Natalie's face was now filled with anger. Anger at her weakness for this man and anger at him for making her feel desperate.

"I'm not answering it."

"I'm tired of this bullshit, McBain. The next time you want me you come to me."

"I called you here to question you. About a crime. Remember?"

"Did you get any answers with your tongue down my throat?" Natalie shot back.

"Damn it, Natalie. Sit down before you pass out and your uncle fires me." Wearily, John pushed Natalie towards the couch. He bent down and picked up the blanket and gently put it back around her shoulders once she was seated.

"For the record, whenever I try to do what you claim you want you're the one who runs away. After Atlantic City, when your mother was in the hospital, you're the one who hooked up with Paul. And just now you used the telephone."

Natalie looked away and closed her eyes.

"There was a delivery man in the kitchen before I went into the storeroom. I never saw his face. He had the hood of his sweatshirt up." Natalie opened her eyes and looked at John.

John blew out an audible breath and grabbed a paid and pen from his desk. He pulled a chair up and sat himself down, tiredly, to take down her statement.

"What was he delivering?"

"Looked like vegetables, or something like that. He seemed tall. I...young. He seemed young. Like in his twenties, early thirties."

"You didn't see his face, how can you say that?"

"Well, um, his form seemed fit. His ass was firm." Natalie flushed and shrugged.

"How tall was he?" John asked dryly.

"Um." Natalie closed her eyes and thought back. "I'm not sure. Definitely taller than me. By a few inches, at least. He was kind of not standing up tall."

"Anything else?"

"No. He was gone when I came out of the storeroom. The back door was open."

John nodded, he remembered closing it himself when he went to Natalie cowering behind the refrigerator.

"Thank you," John said.

For a long moment they looked at each other, neither daring to speak. Natalie broke first. She stood up and clasped the blanket around her.

"For the record, John. You're just making excuses. If you wanted me you could have had me." Not bothering to wait for an answer she was sure she wouldn't get, Natalie turned and walked to the door. Her hand was on the door knob when John spoke, surprising her.

"Then I'm done with excuses. I want you."

Natalie closed her eyes and swallowed the tears that coated her throat. One snaked down her cheek to be soaked up by the rough blanket.

"I think it might be too late," she said when she could speak.

"Don't say that." John's voice was harsh.

"John. I don't feel..." before she could finish Natalie swayed and began to slide to the floor.

In a flash, John was behind her and caught her as she passed out.

"I need help in here!" he called through the door.


	4. What Is Wrong With Her?

I Thought It Was You - Athena13

Hey, thanks LSun, McNat, Jibaker & Cindy for the reviews. And yeah, McBain always ends up disappointing to me too! But it's just how he is being written by Higley's Hacks!

This is a short one, but there's more to follow soon.

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Chapter 4 - Ah, Hell. Not Again.  
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John eased Natalie down to the floor and rubbed her cheek.

"Natalie. Wake up. Wake up. God, please wake up!"

"John, what happened?" Bo stood above him.

"Move." Paige pushed past them and kneeled down on the floor. "What happened?"

"She started to say she wasn't feeling well and she just passed out." John didn't have the presence of mind to keep the fear from his voice.

"I called you over earlier because she felt seemed faint, I thought it was shock or exhaustion," Bo put in.

"She's not feverish, her pulse is...she's skipping heartbeats. It's almost like she's under anesthesia. Bo, please call for an ambulance." Paige kept her voice calm as she narrated her examination.

Bo took out his telephone and placed the call.

"What's wrong with her?" John asked.

"I don't know yet. Please move back." Paige didn't even glance up at him as she placed the stethoscope underneath Natalie's shirt.

Bo and John watched Paige do all sorts of things to Natalie's still form as the minutes ticked by. Still, Paige said nothing and Natalie didn't wake up. The medics came and lifted her onto a gurney.

"What's wrong with her?" Bo put a hand on Paige's arm to stop her from following immediately after them.

"I don't know right now. We'll have to run tests to know why. I need to go."

"Could it be poison?" John voiced the question.

Paige looked at him in surprise.

"There was an attempt on her life tonight. They missed."

"We...I'll have them pump her stomach. Just in case." Paige looked shaken.

"Thank you." Bo pressed a kiss to her cheek before she rushed away.

John looked back at his desk and then back out the door.

"We should put a cop at the hospital, Bo," John said.

"I'll take care of that," Bo said.

"There's nothing like this in the book," John said.

"But having missed earlier he may have felt pressured to cure his failure and deviated from the methodology of the novel," Bo finished for him. Both of them knew that the sanity of sociopaths only went so far, they didn't handle things well when crossed.

"I'm going to talk to the medical examiner about any possible poisons or substances that could cause her symptoms. I'll have Jackson work on the diner."

Bo nodded and walked out.

John ran a hand over the tense muscles of his neck before walking out the other door of his office and headed for the ME's office.

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The killer moved about in his windowless den. Moving in circles. Still wearing the hooded sweatshirt he had used to obscure his features.

"I missed. I missed. I missed." he repeated to himself over and over again.

He held Natalie's picture in his hands, it shook with every step he took in his heavy, well worn work boots.

End...for now


	5. It'll Be Okay

I Thought It Was You 5

>>>>>  
Chapter 5  
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Natalie smiled as the sunshine hit the side of her face and the wind blew through her hair.

Though tired from a full night of travel from Llanview, she was too wired up to head straight for her hotel and settle in. She didn't really know where she was going in San Diego, but from the map she had studied at the rental car counter San Diego seemed to have only three main highways running north and south.

"Freeways." She mentally corrected herself with a smile.

And the Pacific Coast Highway. That famed old road that ran along the Pacific Ocean.

Natalie caught her breath as she caught sight of that blue beauty for the first time. It looked nothing like the sea of her Atlantic City home. Which was the point, after all, for her escape to this paradise thousands of miles away from Llanview.

A fresh start where no one knew her, or thought they did. A place where she could be whoever she said she was and do whatever she wanted to do.

Natalie shook her head, whipping the hair off her face and the dark thoughts out of her mind. She was not going to think about serial killers and imposters. Not unless it was in school or on the job.

But that would not be for a few months. For now, she was going to learn what it was to enjoy life without looking over her shoulder for the next tragedy. Kevin had unlocked her money from the blind trust he had placed it in on her behalf - having thankfully refused to set up at an irrevocable trust back when she was with Paul - and for the first time she was going to take advantage of the opportunity it afforded her. She was going to buy a cottage by the sea or in the mountains, she hadn't decided yet. Then she was going to learn to surf and work on her tan. And if she decided to get a job, perhaps waitressing at a seaside haunt, it was going to be for the opportunity to meet people and keep busy, not to barely make ends meet. And not to prove to anyone that she wasn't a trust fund kid.

She finally had nothing to prove.

Except that she was entitled to a life. Entitled to be loved. On her own terms.

She was finally free.


	6. Surprise, Surprise

I Thought It Was You 6

Sorry for the curve ball! Seriously, this story has a life of its own – don't know how it ended up in San Diego. Nat must want a vacation. I have an idea of where it wants to go, though I don't know how it ends up (Jolie, JoReaper, Natalie being free, a new man?). Natalie is just really sick and tired of dark, gloomy Llanview and all the drama that never results in reward – she's gotten the short end of the stick since McBain came to town. (Or is that just me that feels that way?) She's on a bit of a rebellion right now. If it starts to suck too badly I'll just give the story up.

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Chapter 6  
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A dark weight was pressing in on her as she struggled to awareness. Her throat felt sore and more aches and pains made themselves known as she rose towards wakefulness. Still, she kept her eyes closed as she tried to loosen her limbs under the sheet of the hotel bed. She didn't want to open her eyes until she felt the ocean breeze across her hot face. Yet, as consciousness pulled all she smelled was stale air.

Darn. She had left the sliding glass door open to the breeze when she had given in to the exhaustion dragging at her body that afternoon and checked into her ocean front hotel. She went to sleep content with the knowledge that it would all be there waiting for her later and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that; for as long as she wanted.

But in the stale air, the bitterness of the past clawed at her, threatening to take her new found freedom away.

"Natalie."

The unexpected voice startled her and she opened her eyes into unexpected brightness and the sight of Paige, her uncle's girlfriend, looking down at her.

"How did you?" Natalie tried to ask, but broke off when all that came out of her sore throat as a croak.

"You're in the hospital. We pumped your stomach, that's why your throat is sore."

"San Diego."

"What about San Diego?" Paige asked.

Natalie ignored the question and struggled to sit up. She felt twinges and aches in her body that she couldn't correlate to anything in her memory.

Paige gently helped her rise to a sitting position and handed her a cup of ice chips.

Natalie took the cup and looked around the room. She was in a hospital room. What the hell had happened now? She asked this out loud as soon as she could get the words through her throat.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember being in San Diego and going to bed in my hotel room. Apparently, that was just a dream." Natalie sighed and looked down at the ice chips. "Before that I remember." Natalie broke off as the events of the past evening crowded into her mind. Her hand began to tremble as the image of Candace in the fryer and finding John in the park crowded into her mind. She pushed the images away.

"I don't remember anything after Antonio taking me home. What time is it? What day is it?"

As she asked the last question, Bo walked into the room.

"It's Friday afternoon. You came back to the station late last night and passed out."

"Why did I pass out?" Natalie grimaced and put the cup of ice onto the beside table.

Paige and Bo exchanged a glance.

"Just tell me."

Bo put his hand on Paige's neck and took his niece's hand.

"We think you were poisoned."

"What?"

"We haven't been able to find any other reason for you to have lost consciousness. The symptoms you exhibited indicated that poison is a possibility. We're going to run some more tests and so is the crime lab," Paige explained.

"That's why my stomach was pumped." Natalie smoothed out the sheet covering her lap.

"It was just a precautionary measure," Paige said. "I'm going to finish my rounds."

"What are you not telling me?" Natalie asked her uncle after Paige had left.

Bo looked at Natalie worriedly. She was still pale, but her apathy worried him more.

"Nothing. There's nothing I'm not telling you."

"Where was I when I passed out?" Natalie asked, finally turning her head to look at him.

"You were in John's office."

Natalie's lips pressed together and she worried at the sheet with her fingers.

"Do remember?"

Natalie shook her head, frustrated that she couldn't remember. Even more frustrated that, once again she found herself in crisis in front of John.

"I'm sure it will come back to you."

"You don't know that. I just don't understand why these things keep happening to me. What did I do to deserve this life?" Natalie looked up; there were tears in her eyes.

"Ah, Honey. You didn't do anything." Bo sat down on the edge of the bed and took her into his arms. "I guess life just knows that you're strong enough to take anything that's thrown at you."

"I don't feel strong." Natalie began to cry.

Neither heard John McBain enter the room with a bunch of hospital gift shop flowers in his hand. His lips parted in surprise at the sight of Natalie breaking down. Torn between giving her privacy and his need to comfort her himself, he just stood there until his brother Michael came and put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him out of the room.

"What are you doing, John?" Michael asked.

John looked at his brother, his face pale with shock.

"John?" Michael thumped his brother on the chest. "Hello?"

"I…I..." John closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"John, you're freaking me out, here."

"I'm freaking myself out here." John opened his eyes. "I love her, Michael. I love Natalie."

Michael looked grim at the news, but not surprised.

Neither saw Evangeline Williamson standing just a few feet away

End…for now


	7. Mother of Pearl!

Okay, readers, I've decided to indulge my Evangeline hate a bit in this chapter. Usually, I ignore her in my stories…but what the heck. I HATE the passive aggressive, phony wench. I think I'm also going to make this a bit of a mocking on the litany of tragedies and violence that happen on this show. Well, basically, I'm making a mish mash and Natalie is going to rock.

From Chapter 6 -

"You don't know that. I just don't understand why these things keep happening to me. What did I do to deserve this life?" Natalie looked up; there were tears in her eyes.

"Ah, Honey. You didn't do anything." Bo sat down on the edge of the bed and took her into his arms. "I guess life just knows that you're strong enough to take anything that's thrown at you."

"I don't feel strong." Natalie began to cry.

Neither heard John McBain enter the room with a bunch of hospital gift shop flowers in his hand. His lips parted in surprise at the sight of Natalie breaking down. Torn between giving her privacy and his need to comfort her himself, he just stood there until his brother Michael came and put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him out of the room.

"What are you doing, John?" Michael asked.

John looked at his brother, his face pale with shock.

"John?" Michael thumped his brother on the chest. "Hello?"

"I…I..." John closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"John, you're freaking me out, here."

"I'm freaking myself out here." John opened his eyes. "I love her, Michael. I love Natalie."

Michael looked grim at the news, but not surprised.

Neither saw Evangeline Williamson standing just a few feet away

>>>>>>  
Chapter 7  
>>>>>>

Evangeline had obviously heard, her tongue pressed against her bottom lip and her eyes widened as she watched the brothers take in John's confession. She steeled her spine, stuck out her chest and walked determinedly towards them. She loved the feel of her well-formed thighs brushing against each other under her short skirt.

"Excuse me, Michael. But I'd like to speak with John." Evangeline put a hand on Michael's arm and smiled flirtatiously up at him.

"Uh, sure." Michael glanced around and beat a hasty retreat.

"Evangeline…" John began to speak, sliding the flowers to his side and out of her sight.

"John. I'm glad I found you. I wanted to ask you about the Paul Cramer case." Evangeline tilted her head, her eyes bugging out a little as she pretended to have not heard.

"Evangeline, I, uh. You heard what I said, didn't you?" John stepped back a small step.

"I wasn't eavesdropping on your conversation with your brother. I wouldn't do that." Evangeline put a hand on John's chest and leaned her breast against his arm.

John let the lie pass. "I'm sorry, Evangeline. I know you heard. That's not how I wanted either of us to find out." He cleared his throat and put his hand over hers and pulled it back a little as her nails dug into his skin through his shirt.

"You were just being sarcastic, like the last time you said that. I understand." She licked her lips and smiled seductively up at him.

""That's not…I meant it." John felt really bad, and just a little turned on. God help him.

"Like you didn't know you want that two bit piece of trash?" Evangeline snarled at him.

John's hand tightened on her hand and pulled it completely away from him. He kept his face impassive, but inside he was seething at the cut to Natalie.

"All these months I've been and done everything for you and you go and say you love her when you can't say it to me!" Evangeline pulled her hand from his grasp. "Tell me you didn't mean it!"

"I'm sorry, Evangeline. I never meant to hurt you, but I never lied."

"You son of a bitch!" She pulled his mother's pearls from her neck and tossed them at him, not caring that most of the pearls were rolling across the floor of the hospital. "I don't know I wasted my time with you. You're a loser and I deserve better."

"Yes, you do deserve better." John said, his face still impassive.

"Enjoy your tramp in your flea motel!" she raised her chin and stalked away.

John didn't bother to bite back his laugh as she slid and almost fell over one of the pearls.

"What the hell happened here?" Bo came walking out of Natalie's room. "What's on the floor?" Bo looked around with a curious look on his face.

"My mother's pearls." John ran a hand over his face. Then he looked at Bo and started to laugh. Mostly in relief.

"Shouldn't you pick them up?" Bo asked, laughing, though he wasn't sure why.

"Yeah, I should."

Bo saw the flowers and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I love your niece." John looked at Bo, mindful of the warning he had received earlier that morning.

"About time you admitted it. You go see her, she needs cheering up. I'll find some help to clear up the mess."

"I just cleared up a big mess, already." John laughed and turned to go into Natalie's room.

End...for now


	8. Hearts & Flowers

LSun – your review totally cracked me up! Glad to meet another Evain hater. Great minds, and all that!

Mcnatfan – I'm so waiting for the karma fairy. But than again, I'm writing fic, I don't have to wait eg

Jibaker – So you want a confession scene? Oh, okay.

I'm off for a 2 week vacation to Europe this weekend, not sure if I'll post anything before I leave Sunday. But this is certainly a good place to leave off, no?

>>>>>>  
Chapter 8  
>>>>>>

John's smile was wiped off his face when he got a look at Natalie's face. She was pale, tear streaked and with dark circles under her eyes. But worse, far worse, was the despair in her eyes.

His stomach clenched as he walked over to the bed and looked down at her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey." Natalie looked straight at the flowers he held in his hand.

"These are for you." John held them out, a little boy's smile on his face.

"I figured that." Natalie took the flowers and buried her nose in them.

John sat down on the chair next to the bed and scooted up closer to her.

"I hear I was in your office when I passed out."

"You don't remember?" John asked.

"No." Natalie sighed and looked up at John through her lashes. "Did you catch me when I fell?"

"Of course I did. You don't remember what I said before you passed out?"

Natalie shook her head and shrugged. "Sorry."

"You should be. It takes me forever to say it again and you not only pass out, you forget." John tilted his head and smiled sweetly at her.

Natalie couldn't help smiling at his words and expression, as he had hoped.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I said?" he took one her hands and held it.

She looked down at their clasped hands and then back up at John's face. A fluttering had started in her stomach and she bit her lip. "What did you say?" she asked, breathlessly.

"I said that I want you. That I love you."

Natalie's smile brightened up her face. "No wonder I passed out. We should call off the crime lab on this one."

At the mention of the crime lab, John's grip tightened.

"Did you mean it?" Tears filled Natalie's eyes as she waited.

"Yeah. I did." John cupped her cheek with his free hand and leaned forward. His lips poised centimeters from hers, he asked "can I kiss you?"

"Yeah." Natalie's voice rasped and then was silenced by his lips. She dropped the flowers and her now free hand slid into his silky hair.

As it always was between them, the gentle kiss turned hot. John was out of his chair and sitting on the bed and Natalie was crawling into his lap as they drank the other in and melted against each other.

"You love me?" Natalie broke off a moment to seek reassurance.

"Yeah." He didn't ask in words, but his eyes pleaded for a similar declaration.

"I still love you," Natalie choked out through her tears.

With a groan, John gathered her to him and began to kiss her again. For the first time in longer than he could remember his load felt lighter. Having stopped fighting his feelings he felt like he could take on the world.

Or whoever it was who was threatening his Natalie.

End…for now ;-)


	9. And so it begins

MA has re-signed! I couldn't go off without just a little more Jolie. Took me this long to post because of some problems with FFN before I left for vacation. I guess now I'm back I'll have to post more. Don't worry, I have a chapter in mind. Just need to catch up on a ton of stuff first!

Thanks for all the feedback! I LOVE it! Big smiles.

>>>>>  
From Chapter 8

"You love me?" Natalie broke off a moment to seek reassurance.

"Yeah." He didn't ask in words, but his eyes pleaded for a similar declaration.

"I still love you," Natalie choked out through her tears.

With a groan, John gathered her to him and began to kiss her again. For the first time in longer than he could remember his load felt lighter. Having stopped fighting his feelings he felt like he could take on the world.

Or whoever it was who was threatening his Natalie.

>>>>>>>  
Chapter 9  
>>>>>>>

John begins to shake – reaction to the kicthen and earlier

Their lips finally parted and John stroked Natalie's hair as he looked at her. Her smile felt like a punch in the gut.

"John, you're trembling. What's wrong?" Natalie put a hand on his face.

"Twice. I've almost lost you twice in as many days. When I walked into that kitchen, God." John's voice broke. He took a ragged breath and pressed his lips to Natalie's forehead. Then he clasped her face in his hands. "It was like, it was like."

"When you found Caitlin," Natalie finished for him.

John nodded, his eyes reflecting the pain and fear that was threatening to overwhelm him, even in the face of such joy. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Ruining this moment." John stroked her cheks with his thumbs.

Natalie put her hands over his and pulled them from her face. She held his palms face up and a small smile tilted her lips.

"John, one of the things that I love about you is how strong you are. Here." She gestured with his hands. "And inside. Your feelings are strong and you are very strong when you want to deny them."

She closed his hands into fists and held them firmly.

"Don't ever be sorry to me for what you are feeling. As long as it's because you love."

"God," John whispered. "Natalie, I belong to you."

"And I will take good care of you." Natalie sealed her promise with kiss on each fist.

"And I will protect you with my dying breath."

"I hope that won't be necessary." Natalie let John's hands go and cupped his face.

"Me too." John smiled. "So, you know, what else do you love about me?"

Natalie giggled and buried her face in his neck.

"No, really. I want to know." John bounced her around and cuddled her up against him.

"That, Sir, will require you taking me out on a real date."

"Yes, Ma'am."

See ya'll in 2 weeks!


	10. Plans

I Thought It Was You

>>>>>  
From Chapter 9

She closed his hands into fists and held them firmly.

"Don't ever be sorry to me for what you are feeling. As long as it's because you love."

"God," John whispered. "Natalie, I belong to you."

"And I will take good care of you." Natalie sealed her promise with kiss on each fist.

"And I will protect you with my dying breath."

"I hope that won't be necessary." Natalie let John's hands go and cupped his face.

"Me too." John smiled. "So, you know, what else do you love about me?"

Natalie giggled and buried her face in his neck.

"No, really. I want to know." John bounced her around and cuddled her up against him.

"That, Sir, will require you taking me out on a real date."

"Yes, Ma'am."

>>>>>>>  
Chapter 10 - Plans  
>>>>>>>

"Wherever you want, after this case is closed." John stroked her hair.

"I figured I'd have to wait." Natalie sighed and put her chin on John's shoulder.

"That's not all."

"Tell me." Natalie pulled back and looked at John.

"I want you to stay at Llanfair under guard and to not come to work until this is done."

"John!" Natalie squirmed out of his hold and onto the bed to kneel in front of him.

"Don't argue with me." John put his hands on her arms.

"Yeah right." Natalie rolled her eyes. "John, you don't even know if I was poisoned and that it didn't happen at Llanfair. Wouldn't I be safer in a building full of cops? Besides, I want to help."

"I know you do, but I don't want you in danger. And you have an incredible knack for being in danger."

"Which means you should keep your eye on me." Natalie smiled and tilted her head at him.

"Llanfair was a compromise. I'd rather send you out of town completely. But you do have a point about keeping my eye on you." John sighed and pulled her back onto his lap.

"I don't want to stop living my life, John. I can't."

"I'm going to ask your mother to put a bodyguard on you. I'm not going to take any chances with your safety."

"How about a royal food taster?" Natalie put her arms around John's neck.

"That doesn't make me feel better." John put his hand on her head.

"Sorry. You're going to catch this guy. No one is better."

John smiled slightly in acknowledgement of her support.

"Speaking of protecting me bodily, I was wondering when we might be doing something more bodily." Natalie slid her lips over John's cheek and began to nibble his ear.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" His smile contradicted his question.

"Perhaps we should lie down?"

"You are a bad girl." John laughed as she tried to pull him down.

"Don't you love that about me?"

"Yeah, I do. But sometimes you give me a heart attack. We are not going to do this here. Proper date first, remember."

Natalie pouted but let John settle her back into a proper position under the sheets while he sat chastely at her side.

"I feel fine."

"And I plan to make sure you stay that way. It's up to Bo when you can come back to work, but you're going to have protection."

Natalie nodded.

John was pacing his hotel room when there was a knock at the door. With a frustrated sigh he went to answer it only to find Antonio on the other side.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting sleep?" Antonio didn't wait for an invite before walking around John into the apartment.

"Now, how do you know I wasn't before you knocked?" John asked.

Antonio just shot John a dubious looked and continued prowling the apartment.

"What are you looking for?" John crossed his arms and stood in front of the closed door.

"Signs of a guy who was just dumped by his girlfriend of a year."

John shrugged and walked over to the pool table and began to bang the balls together with his hands.

"I'm not going to find that, am I?" Antonio's face turned grim.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"Actually, I don't. When Evangeline told me the news she made a play for me."

John looked at Antonio, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'd fire her, but the hearing is in two days. I'm meeting with the dean of the law school later to see what I can do."

"Are you going to report her to the ethics board?"

"I may have to. I'm sorry, man."

"I'm not sure that during the time we were together I ever really knew Evangeline." John dropped the pool ball he was toying with and walked over to his little refrigerator. He took out two beers and handed one to Antonio.

"So, you and Natalie." Antonio took a swig of his beer.

John looked at Antonio, measuring. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"If you mess with her again I'm going to have to play big brother and kick your ass."

"You could try." John snorted.

"I will."

"You don't have to worry about that. I love her, man." John shrugged.

"About time you admitted it. Bo told me he sent you home to sleep, but you're still gnawing at the case, aren't you."

John nodded and put his beer down.

"Mind if I take a look?"

"Go right ahead. I think I'm too close to it right now."

"We'll make sure she's safe."

John sent him a silent look of thanks.

End...for now


	11. Poison and Passion

I Thought It Was You – 11?  
Athena13

Recap: After John finds Natalie in the kitchen at the diner – alive – she goes back to Llanfair. He calls her in the middle of the night to come to the station for questioning; but really because he needs to confirm for himself that she's all right. They get into an argument, he tells her he wants her and she passes out (we all would if he actually admitted it!). At the hospital, E eavesdrops on John and Michael and doesn't like what she hears (but we all do!) and E gets her coup de grace. Then John tells Natalie that he loves her.

>>>>>

"It was poison." Bo's face was grim as he handed John the toxicology report.

"Trichloreothane? What the hell is that?" John mumbled as he read through the report.

"It's a degreaser, used commonly in airplane engines. They almost didn't find it, it's hard to detect. Thank god Paige had her stomach pumped as a precaution." Bo paced back and forth in front of John's desk.

"It says here that this poison can act in five minutes if inhaled and twenty if ingested. Do they know how it was administered?" John looked up at Bo questioningly. His legs felt shaky so he sat down.

"Since the stomach pumping worked they are assuming it was ingested. They're doing a more thorough exam to confirm that. We need to question Natalie to try and figure out when she was poisoned and how."

"And by who," John said.

Bo nodded grimly in agreement.

>>>>

Vicki watched from the couch helplessly as the police searched Llanfair looking for anything that Natalie may have ingested after getting home from the diner.

"Mrs. Davidson, I promise you that I'll find whoever did this to Natalie." John said as Bo put a comforting arm around her shoulders. John was standing in front of them, too restless to sit down, but trying to stay out of the way of the forensic and investigative teams.

"I know you will, John. I just hate that we can't feel safe in our own home. I'm worried about bringing Natalie back here from the hospital."

"It'll be plenty safe when we're done, Vicki. Just beef up security on the grounds and I'll make sure patrols go past here more frequently." Bo said, although John had been worrying about the same thing.

"Whoever was stalking Jessica still managed to get in," Vicki said worriedly.

John looked at Bo for approval before speaking. "She could stay at the hotel. With me. It's right near the police station and she'd never be alone. I'd make sure of it."

"Do you think she'd go for that?" Bo asked.

"I think so," John said.

"John, if I may ask, what is going on between you and my daughter?" Vicki asked.

John looked around, conscious of the uniformed officers walking in and out of the living room. To be on the safe side he sat down in the chair closest to Vicki and Bo.

"I'm not sure I should say, but Natalie and I have come to an understanding. I love your daughter, Mrs. Davidson."

Vicki's worried face broke out into a smile. "I'm glad to hear that, John. I'm going to go to the hospital now and check if Natalie is ready to be released. I'll pack a suitcase for her." Vicki stood up and walked over to John. She leaned down and whispered in his ear before walking out of the room.

Bo looked at John quizzically.

John just smiled at Bo.

>>>>

"He did?" Natalie looked at her mother in amazement.

"He did. As bold as you please." Vicki smiled at Natalie who was sitting, fully dressed, on her hospital bed waiting to be released.

Natalie threw back her head and laughed.

"Oh, Honey. It's so good to see you laugh." Vicki sat down on the bed and pulled her into a hug.

"It feels good, Mom." Natalie put her arms around Vicki. "I don't think you should stay at Llanfair. And Jessica should stay with Antonio or with Kevin."

"We'll be fine. I think you would be fine there too, but I understand if you and John want to spend some time together."

"I do. But maybe it's not a good idea just yet. I mean we haven't even gone on a date."

"John will keep you safe. There have been two attempts on your life in less than twelve hours." Vicki ran her hand over Natalie's flame-colored hair.

"Will it keep you from worrying?" Natalie asked. "You need to take it easy. Maybe you should go visit Joey in London."

"I'll be fine. I need to be here for my girls."

"I really wish you would go. John and Antonio will look out for us. Please, it would make me feel better. Otherwise I'm going to worry about you."

Vicki thought for a moment. "All right. I'll go."

"Thank you." Natalie was greatly relieved.

>>>>>

"Roxy could give me another room," Natalie said. She was standing in front of the door to John's room. He was holding her suitcase, while she held her smaller bag with both hands and rocked it nervously against the front of her legs.

"I'd hate to have to stay in another room since all my stuff is here." John turned around and faced Natalie, one of his rare, dazzling smiles on his face.

"Is that your way of saying you're not going to leave me alone?"

John nodded and put his hand on the small of her back to lead her into his apartment.

"It's been a while since I've stayed here."

"After I was poisoned. You could say I'm just returning the favor if it makes you feel better."

"Are you just returning the favor?" Natalie grimaced. The question just slipped out.

John took her bag out of her hands and put it on the couch. He put his hands on her cheeks and leaned down. "You're here because I don't want anything to happen to you. I may not be able to be with you every minute, as much as I'd love to be right now, but there is nothing I won't do to make sure you're safe."

Tears blurred her vision as she looked into John's beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that had been impenetrable for too long. Inside them she could see the John McBain who had held her while she mourned her husband, who had kissed her passionately in the middle of the casino in AC and the one who lent her his coat in the park when they had said goodbye. That had been the last time he had let her in. Until this moment she hadn't realized how lonely it had been being shut out. Love flooded her senses.

"Are you all right?"

She heard his caring rasp and she nodded even as tears began to flood.

"Come lie down." John hustled her over to the bed.

"Not alone." She put her hand on his cheek to still his worry. How could she have been worrying that it was too soon to be here?

"You just got out of the hospital."

She felt John tremble underneath her hands as he struggled to be noble. She loved that about him. She laughed through her tears and put her arms around his neck.

"Wanna play doctor?" she whispered into his ear.

"Natalie." Her name was a groan. He put his hands on her back.

She didn't know if he intended to pull her away or pull her closer, but she wasn't going to wait to find out. Natalie hopped up and put her legs around his waist.

"Take me to bed, Detective."

"Dinner." John's words came out on a pant as Natalie slid her lips over his neck.

"We can order in. Later."

With a groan John tumbled them onto the bed.

"Aren't you glad to be alive?"

End…of Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12 NC17

**If you don't want to read smut - you can wait until the next chapter.**

I Thought It Was You 12?  
by Athena13  
NC-17

>>>>>>>  
From Chapter 11

John took her bag out of her hands and put it on the couch. He put his hands on her cheeks and leaned down. "You're here because I don't want anything to happen to you. I may not be able to be with you every minute, as much as I'd love to be right now, but there is nothing I won't do to make sure you're safe."

Tears blurred her vision as she looked into John's beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that had been impenetrable for too long. Inside them she could see the John McBain who had held her while she mourned her husband, who had kissed her passionately in the middle of the casino in AC and the one who lent her his coat in the park when they had said goodbye. That had been the last time he had let her in. Until this moment she hadn't realized how lonely it had been being shut out. Love flooded her senses.

"Are you all right?"

She heard his caring rasp and she nodded even as tears began to flood.

"Come lie down." John hustled her over to the bed.

"Not alone." She put her hand on his cheek to still his worry. How could she have been worrying that it was too soon to be here?

"You just got out of the hospital."

She felt John tremble underneath her hands as he struggled to be noble. She loved that about him. She laughed through her tears and put her arms around his neck.

"Wanna play doctor?" she whispered into his ear.

"Natalie." Her name was a groan. He put his hands on her back.

She didn't know if he intended to pull her away or pull her closer, but she wasn't going to wait to find out. Natalie hopped up and put her legs around his waist.

"Take me to bed, Detective."

"Dinner." John's words came out on a pant as Natalie slid her lips over his neck.

"We can order in. Later."

With a groan John tumbled them onto the bed.

"Aren't you glad to be alive?"

>>>>>>>  
BEGIN CHAPTER 12 – NC17 WARNING

"Ow"

"Shit!" John flipped them over so that Natalie was on top of him.

"Are you all right?" He began to run his hands over her body. "You just got out of the hospital. I'm so stupid!"

"John. Calm down. You're just a big guy. My only symptom is a sore throat."

"You swear?" John pushed her hair off her face. He was still frowning with worry.

"Pinky swear. You're not going to stop using your hands are you?" Her fiery hair formed a curtain around their faces.

John's laugh was tinged with both amusement and relief. He put his hands on her back and pressed her against him.

"That's better." Natalie wiggled until she was straddling him.

"God." John groaned before capturing her lips in a kiss.

As always their kiss turned hot and deep almost immediately, but there was a difference this time. This time they didn't have to stop and pretend that either of them was sorry that it happened. This time they could revel in the taste and feel of the other.

John's hands slid up Natalie's back to hold her head captive above him. She tasted like sweet fire in his mouth as their tongues slid together. Natalie's grasp echoed his.

John tilted his hips and turned them until they were lying next to each other in the bed. Their lips never parted. Now, Natalie's left arm was curved around his neck and her other hand was inching his shirt out of the way so she could touch his skin. He moaned as her fingers began to caress him. He slid a leg between hers and pressed against her. He moaned again when she arched against him and her head fell back and she let out a groan of her own.

Her fingers pinched his side as she gasped for breath and she leveraged herself on his knee to lift up and capture his ear in her teeth.

Emboldened by her responsiveness, he slid his hand over her shirt to cup her breast. He lightly contracted his palm, matching her movements against his knee. At her rough demand on his neck he pinched her nipple. She whimpered and moved against him urgently. He smiled and continued his relatively chaste exploration of her breast through her clothes.

"John!" She scratched her nails lightly on his back and arched her hips against him. He chuckled and bent down to capture her throbbing nipple between his lips. His hands were on his back pressing her into his mouth. Her head was thrown back and her hair was entwined in his fingers.

He moved his mouth to her other breast, teasing that one until he heard her gasp and felt her squeeze his leg with her thighs.

Fighting his desire to dive into the flames, he slipped his hand under her black t-shirt and pushed it up. He chuckled when she lifted her arms and helped him remove it. He was almost undone by the sight of a black bra against her white skin, but this would be their first time and he was damned if it was going to end before it began.

"John!"

At her cry he looked into her eyes and felt himself almost bowled over by the love and lust in their sparkling depths.

"I don't want to wait."

"I know you don't." John opened the button of her jeans with one hand and unzipped them. His gaze never wavered from hers as he slid them down her legs, not until he found his progress stopped.

"Shoes." It was Natalie's turn to chuckle.

He looked down and cursed under his breath when he saw that she was wearing sneakers with the laces tied.

"Why couldn't you be wearing those hospital booties that Michael wears?" He pulled at her laces roughly, causing them to tighten and tangle.

"John, I'll never get them off if you do that."

John reached over her head, opened his night table and took out a knife.

"John!" Natalie exclaimed in surprise.

John cut through the laces, folded the knife, and tossed it back in the drawer. Proud of himself, he smiled at Natalie as he pulled off her shoes and tossed them over his back onto the floor. Then he got on his knees and pulled her pants the rest of the way off. They soon found their way to the floor amongst the shoes and socks.

Natalie laughed as John prowled his way up her body until he was hovering over her, holding himself up on his well-muscled arms.

For a long moment they just looked into each other's eyes and shared their amusement. Then John's smile began to slip.

"What are you thinking?" Natalie bit her lip while she waited for him to shut her down.

"I'm thinking I almost lost you twice in two days and now you're here and I can touch you all I want."

"Don't be sad, not now." Natalie stroked his face.

"I'm not sad. I'm really, really happy." John let himself down so that he was laying propped up on his side flush against her. He put his hand on her neck and caressed his way to her lips. "I can kiss you." So saying, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. They sighed against each other.

Slowly they entwined their bodies. John's clothes hung off the bed and were crumpled on the floor. They kissed and caressed every inch of each other that they could reach.

"I love you." John's rasped more than once as he slid her bra straps off her shoulders and cupped her breasts. A tear slid down Natalie's cheek at his tenderness.

"Please," she pleaded as his tongue slid slowly over her sensitized nipple. Tortuously slow he sucked it into his mouth and began to increase the pressure. As he suckled, his other hand slid down her stomach to her black panties. Once there he slid his fingertips underneath to touch her wetness.

"Please!" Natalie writhed under his ministrations. Her hands tangled in his hair and she bucked on his hand.

Heedless of her cries, John took his time to moving to her other breast. Simultaneous with taking her other nipple in his mouth he slid two fingers into her. He matched his suckling to his movements, in and out of her body.

"John. John." Natalie cried out as he took her slowly to the precipice. As she edged towards the edge, John was sliding down her body. As she began to crest, John slid his tongue inside her drank in her pulsing wet. Above him, Natalie thrashed and bucked with her release.

After a few minutes her body began to settle and she came back to awareness. But John wasn't done. His tongue and fingers continued their dance until she was once again pleading for him.

This time, he couldn't hold back. He stopped his ministrations and grabbed a condom. Natalie's hand on his arm stopped him. She took it and smiled mischievously up at him. She opened the package and slid the condom over his thick length. He groaned at her teasing motion.

When she was done they looked at each other, their eyes catching. Holding. Connecting. Then slowly he slid himself inside her aching center. He filled her, he stretched her. She gasped and clenched around him; pulling, pulsing, he couldn't control himself and hebegan to pushinto her quicker, harder, faster.

She met his rhythm. Pulling him deeper and higher than he had ever been before.

Sinuously they moved against each other.

Natalie's nails dug into John's back as he filled her.

Wetness seeped from John's eyes as he felt her surround and hold him. He had never felt as safe and secure as he felt sinking into her.

Sooner than he wanted he felt himself pulse and fill her. Together, they cried out and met each other in a timeless rhythm.

Soon, their movements slowed and he collapsed on top of Natalie. Her arms held him to her as they tried to catch their breath.

"I love you." Natalie panted.

"I love you, too." John opened his eyes and pressed a kiss to each of her eyelids. The blue of his eyes had never been so deep and clear. Nothing was being held back in his gaze.

Natalie opened her eyes and their gazes caught.

Natalie caught her breath and slid her fingers through his long, dark hair. He smiled at her ministrations and pecked her lips.

"Me too." He slid his lips over her neck.

End...for now.


	13. What Now?

Just a short interlude...

Chapter 13 -

"I can't believe you're here." John was propped up on his elbow looking down at a very sated and sensual red head who had a very smug grin on her face.

"I knew it would happen." Natalie was stroking the tattoo on his arm.

"You did, huh?" John shivered from her caresses.

Natalie nodded.

"Well, I can't believe it." John leaned down and kissed her nose.

Natalie stretched. "So, what now?"

"Now?" John brushed stands of flame hair off her cheek and put it behind her ear.

Natalie froze.

"What's wrong?" John asked worriedly.

Natalie opened her mouth to answer, but then promptly closed it.

"You didn't mean now when you said now, did you?"

"I don't know what I meant." Natalie bit her lip and cleared her throat.

"But my non-answer worried you." John pushed her hair off her face. "The truth is I don't know what's next. Maybe ordering some food. You getting some rest. Me finding out who poisoned you and who is killing the Love Crew and tried to kill you the other night. Me finding out if the two events are related."

"Sorry." Natalie smiled weakly through her embarassment.

"But us, we're solid as far as I'm concerned. Maybe we wouldn't have moved in together so fast if you didn't need protection, but I always take advantage of situations when I stumble on them."

"We've moved in together?"

"You're staying with me indefinitely and sleeping in my bed. I consider that living together."

"Maybe I should redecorate."

"You decorated in the first place, remember?"

"Yeah." Natalie snuggled closer. "Of course, if we were really living together we might consider some more space. Maybe a bona fide apartment or a house."

"The hotel was good enough for you and Paul."

"Don't remind me." Natalie looked away.

"We can talk about it after this is all over. Okay?"

"John! I was only kidding. We haven't even gone on a date yet."

"Oh, we're back to that, are we? What if I don't want you to leave?" John leaned down and kissed her. "Having you here is the only thing I like about this situation."

"And right now you're thoughts are with the case. I know that."

"And here with you." John slid his lips over her throat.

"John. John." Natalie lifted his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." Natalie pressed her lips against his.


	14. Things Come to Light

I Thought It Was You – 14?  
Athena13

John caressed Natalie's hair as she slept. He loved the sight of it spread across his pillows. He liked the sight of her in his bed. Instead of the anxiety and guilt he'd always thought he'd feel he felt only peace. This was right. He could hardly believe he fought it so hard for so long, especially since he had wanted her from the moment he had seen her. The attraction had begun when he had seen her photo in the FBI file. Seeing her in person, though, had brought it to another level. He pressed his lips to her cheeks before sliding out of bed.

He picked kicked his discarded clothes in the general direction of the hamper and grabbed a tank top and sweats from his dresser. He had a passing thought about a bigger apartment as he walked to the couch and worried about waking Natalie up while he worked. But soon his mind was fully consumed with the reports that had been slipped under his door while he had been otherwise occupied. One was a preliminary forensics report from the CIS team's search at Llanfair. Another was a toxicology report from Natalie's blood sample. The third was an analysis of _The Killing Club_ book and possible locations for future killings. The final was a profile of the killer by an old profiler friend from FBI. He grabbed the Llanfair report first.

John pressed his lips together and tossed the report down on the coffee table. He got up and paced back and forth a few times trying to wrap his brain around what they had found. Whoever had tried to kill her had put the poison on Natalie's toothbrush. If John hadn't called her to come in to the station she might have died in her bed that night and not been found until morning.

John's pacing led him to her bedside. He kneeled down and looked at her face. He touched her hand so he could feel its warmth and assure himself she was all right.

This method of murder wasn't in the book, but maybe after missing tonight at the Diner the killer was determined to finish the job by whatever means necessary?

John got up and went to read the profile.

An hour later he put the document down and rubbed his eyes. He looked at his watch. It was three in the morning. It was a long shot, but it was possible that Grant would be awake. The profile was damn good, but there was something missing. It had been written before the attempts on Natalie's life. Maybe the new circumstances would open up something more identifiable about the killer than a general age and socioeconomic range. Maybe something that would identify him more with Marcie, the book's writer. Or Natalie.

Or maybe the poisoning was completely unrelated. But John didn't believe that for a minute. It was too coincidental.

>>>>>

Natalie smiled after John pulled back from the deep kiss he gave her as soon as she showed signs of waking up.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" Natalie put her hand on John's face. He was leaning over looking at her when she woke up. He shrugged in response to her question.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Nine."

"I'm late!" Natalie exclaimed and sat up.

"Your boss said you should sleep in today."

"I don't want special treatment because I'm the boss' niece."

"You're not getting special treatment because you're Bo's niece or my girlfriend. You just had two attempts on your life and you just got out of the hospital."

"You're girlfriend, huh?" Natalie grinned and grabbed his hand.

"You would focus on that." His voice was raspy with exhaustion.

"I've waited a really, really long time." Natalie nodded and ruffled his hair with her free hand.

"Now, you're gloating."

"Pretty much. Why don't you take a cat nap while I go shower?"

"I have a much better idea." John slid his hand through her hair and cupped the back of her head. In a sensuous motion he pulled her head forward and met her lips with his. Natalie melted into him and they greeted the day passionately.

"Now, I'm really late." Natalie stroked her fingers over John's thigh under the blanket. She enjoyed feeling him quiver at her touch.

"You might as forget it and stay in bed with me." He rolled over on top of her.

"Not going to happen. You're mind is still half on the case. Why don't we go shower together and you tell me what's gnawing at you."

"Besides my lust for you?" John teased.

"Besides that." Natalie nipped at his bottom lip before melting into him.

>>>>>>>>>>

Natalie pulled into herself. She was sitting in the corner of the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs like a cocoon.

"I shouldn't have told you." John played with the strands of hair that had gotten loose from her pony tail.

"Of course you should tell me. It happened to me. I just want to know how and why. And who."

"So do I."

"And you think it has to do with the Killing Club murderer?"

"My instincts tell me so. Grant, my profiler buddy agrees."

"Then he should talk to Marcy about the original killing club. She probably didn't put everything in the book."

John looked impressed.

"What? I did study criminal justice in college. I work in a police station."

"Maybe you should finish that degree. I already set up a meeting between Grant and Marcie. He's coming to town later today."

"John, why don't we go to the police station? You can work better in your office and I'm going to go crazy sitting around here wondering what next. I need to be busy."

"All right." John looked around at the mess of take out cartons and files strewn around them.

>>>>>>>>>

"John, what's wrong?" Natalie put the file she was bringing to him down onto the desk and moved to stand next to his chair. He was looking out the window and had a yellowed folder in his hand.

John stroked the folder and continued to look out the window.

"John?" Natalie tentatively put her hand on his shoulder. When he didn't pull away she leaned down. "You're scaring me."

"They never found the man who shot my father."

John spoke so softly Natalie had to lean in closer. Sympathy darkened her eyes and she put a hand on his cheek and turned him to face her. She knew just how much it must gnaw at him to have never solved a crime so personal. He had admitted that it was why he himself had joined the Bureau. Partly to make sure that it never happened to another family – the wondering; but also to solve this case.

"What made you think of it today?"

John shook her hand away, looked away and took a deep breath.

Natalie made to move away, but John put his hand on her arm to stop her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Natalie said, despite her hurt. "Do you want something for dinner?"

"Natalie. Don't go. Please." John turned and put the file into the open drawer and pulled her back towards him. He put his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead into her stomach. She stroked his hair and waited.

After a few moments, John looked up and pulled her into his lap.

"What's going on?" Natalie bit her lip. Her heart was pounding as she waited.

"Something about all of this just reminded me. Maybe it's Marcie losing all those people close to her? Maybe…I'm not sure."

"John, maybe your instincts are picking up a connection? Marcie is from back home, too."

"I think you're right. I just can't fit the pieces together. First the killer is following the book and then he poisons you. Maybe it's not the same person?" John's frustration made his voice rough.

"John. Maybe I should go stay somewhere else so you don't have to worry about me too?"

"No! I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Does that mean I should get a cot for your office?" Natalie teased.

John sighed and pulled her tightly into his embrace. "I don't know what the hell to do right now and it scares me."

Before Natalie could answer there was a knock on the door. Natalie just managed to jump up before an older African American woman came storming in.

"Mrs. Williamson?" John stood up.

"My Cookie is missing and you had better find her!"

"Cookie?" Natalie echoed in the background.

End…for now.


	15. All We Need is Some Warm Milk

I Thought It Was You – 15?

"My Cookie is missing and you had better find her!" Lisa Williamson bellowed in the suddenly too small office.

"Cookie?" Natalie echoed in the background. Evangeline's mother called her grown daughter Cookie?

"What do you mean missing?" John asked calmly.

"Cookie was supposed to call me last night, she never misses our calls. She didn't call and I called and called all night and couldn't reach her. I called her office this morning and she didn't even show up for a court date!"

Natalie backed away from John's desk slowly.

"That's not like her," John said thoughtfully.

"Of course not!" Lisa snapped. "She's missing. And given how you mistreated my baby you'd better find her and now!"

"Why don't you have a seat, Mrs. Williamson. Mrs. Vega will get you a cup of coffee?" John looked at Natalie beseechingly.

"Of course, Ma'am."

"Vega. I know that name. You're the one aren't you. That Natalie person my Cookie was always going on about. That's why you broke my baby's heart. For this one!" Lisa refused to sit down.

"I'll go get that coffee." Natalie sped out of the office. Someone else, she decided, could bring it in. She went to get her Uncle Bo and tell him what was going on.

"I am not sitting down! You need to find my baby and right now. If anything happens to her I'm holding you responsible!"

"Mrs. Williamson, you need to calm down and tell me about the last time you spoke to Evangeline. What did she tell you?"

"You better get on the telephone and put an APB out!"

Jesus. John bit back a terse response.

"I understand you are Evangeline's mother and you haven't been able to reach her? I'm Commissioner Buchanan. Bo. Why don't you come into my office and talk to me and we'll send a cop out now to check out some of her usual haunts. John, why don't you call her secretary and send someone over to talk to him."

"Of course." John looked at Natalie, who had come in the other door of his office, with a grateful look. He picked up the telephone and made some calls.

"Do you think she's in trouble?" Natalie asked when he was done.

John shrugged.

"But it's not like her to disappear is it?"

"We don't know if she disappeared, yet."

"Oh, okay. I'll, uh, be at my desk." Despite her words, Natalie lingered in front of John's desk.

"What?" he looked up at her.

"I was thinking, you know." Natalie ran a finger over John's name plate.

"Spit it out, Vega." John smiled and closed the file he had been reading.

"You don't think she engineered this to get your attention do you? I noticed, you know, in passing, that she tended to be kinda passive aggressive."

"Really. In passing?" John asked with raised brows.

"Fine. She's a sneaky, manipulative snob. Is that what you wanted me to say. Hey. Wait a minute. You know, you never told me how and when you broke up with Evangeline."

"It was at the hospital. Before I saw you. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant. Why don't you tell me about your last conversation with the subject."

"Come on, Natalie."

"Fine, don't tell me. But you should tell someone. It might be relevant." Natalie shot him a look before walking out of the office.

John scowled. Natalie was right. If Evangeline was missing, the possibility that she had orchestrated it, and certainly the last time she was seen would be relevant.

"Wait a minute." John stood up and walked out of his office.

"Bo, can I see you for a minute." John stuck his head into the Commissioner's office.

"There might be some news." Bo smiled politely at Evangeline's sniffling mother.

Bo walked closed the door behind him and pushed John further down the hallway.

"What's going on."

"Something Mrs. Williamson said just struck me. She said that I broke her daughter's heart. That just happened yesterday. When did she say the last time she spoke to her daughter was?"

"She said it was a few days ago and that her daughter missed their regularly scheduled Friday night call." Bo pressed his lips together. He didn't like this.

"I might have missed it, but Evangeline never mentioned a regular Friday call. Nor did she ever do it in front of me."

"Right. I'll take care of this. Keep the uniforms on this and let me know if you find her."

"Another thing, Bo. She might be having some professional problems."

"Like what?"

"Antonio said she came on to him yesterday after she and I ended things. He's a client, he was going to talk to someone about reporting her to the ethics board."

Bo clapped him on the shoulder and went back into his office.

John turned and went back to his office. He hoped Evangeline was all right, even if it meant he would owe Natalie an apology.


	16. Turning Wheels

I have no idea how Cookie became the focus of this story? My bad. I just wanted to make fun of the nickname and play with her overprotective Mamma. Well, now I gotta run with it.

I Thought It Was You – 16?

"How did you know about Evangeline and Lieutenant McBain breaking up if you didn't speak to her last night?" Bo rubbed the bridge of his nose. Dealing with Evangeline's mother was giving him a headache as she veered between hysteria and threats.

"She left me a voice mail. You know, maybe I should speak to the Mayor, I understand he's a close personal friend of my Cookie. If your detective didn't feel guilty I'm sure none of this would be happening!"

"There's no need to call the Mayor. We have our very best men tracking down your daughter's whereabouts." Then Bo seemed to think better of it and a sly smile tilted his lips. "Of course, you're welcome to call him if you want. Or go see him. He's on the fifteenth floor."

Suddenly, Natalie stuck her head in the door. "RJ Gannon is on the telephone. He said he saw Evangeline last night."

"RJ Gannon? Do you mean that nice business owner that Cookie was dating before you?" Mrs. Williamson perked right up.

"Yeah, the nice business owner. I'll take this at your desk. Natalie, call Nora, maybe she can get Mrs. Williamson to go wait at her daughter's place." Bo whispered the last part as he passed by her.

"Can I get you something to drink? Water? Soda?" Natalie offered, trying to keep Mrs. Williamson off her Uncle's hands and rethinking her earlier offer of caffeine.

"Why don't you come talk to me?" Mrs. Williamson smiled.

"Um, you know. I'm going to call Nora Buchanan. She's friends with Evangeline." Natalie quickly retreated.

Natalie went to an unoccupied desk and called the DA's office assistant and asked her to send Nora down as soon as possible. Then she went to tell John about the call from RJ.

"That could have been your mother-in-law."

John glared at Natalie as he walked over to Bo and waited for the call to end. She followed close at his heels.

"What did RJ say?" John asked when Bo had hung up.

"She was in UltraViolet last night drinking her pain away. She got, um, inebriated and RJ got her a taxi home. He gave me the number of the cab company."

"I'll follow up on it." John held his hand out.

"No. I need you to stay on the Killing Club. Someone else can take care of it." Bo handed the note to another officer and asked them to follow up. "Meanwhile, Nora is here. I'll have her take Mrs. Williamson somewhere else to wait."

"You're really worried aren't you?" Natalie put her hand on John's arm before he walked away.

"If anything happened to her after I..." John trailed off and with a shrug he walked back to his office.

Natalie put her hands on her hips and turned back towards Bo's office where Nora and Bo were trying to calm Evangeline's mother.

Just as she sat down at her desk, John returned and leaned down.

"What?" she looked up at him.

"I heard the wheels turning all the way in my office. Don't even think of leaving here and trying to find her."

"I wasn't." Natalie stopped and smiled. She put her hand on John's face. "How did you get to know me so well?"

John just smiled and turned his head to kiss her palm. "My buddy from the FBI will be here soon to meet with Marcie. How about we order lunch first?"

"The usual?"

"Yeah." John winked and walked back to his office.

Natalie put her elbows on her desk and leaned her chin in her hands and watched him go. Then she picked up the phone. First to call for lunch, then she called Rex, the nosiest person she knew outside herself. Maybe he could get to the bottom of this faster than the cops.

>>>>>>>>

"Do you think she's trying to get McBain back from you?" Rex sat himself down on the corner of Natalie's desk.

Natalie just shrugged and pulled a file out from under his leg.

"Don't tell me, you have a gut feeling about it. Next thing you know you're going to go straight all the way and become a cop."

"Will you ask around?"

"Fine, but I bet she's holed up at some expensive hotel drinking champagne waiting for McBain to ride her to the rescue. Then she'll seduce him again. Hey, did you hear the story about how they hooked up in the first place? It was at a cli..."

"Shut up!" Natalie pushed him off the desk.

Rex caught himself and stood up. "Later, Natty." Then with a quick kiss to her head he walked out.

Natalie shook her head and grumbled under her breath as she reorganized the files her brother had knocked askew. At least it took her mind off everything that had happened over the past couple of days. Although, a smile lit up her face, it wasn't all bad. Memories of the night before and the morning with John flashed through her mind. She looked towards his office.

She couldn't believe she and John were finally together. That he had finally told her he loved her. She knew it, but was beginning to think that he would never admit it. That he would continue his affair with Evangeline and maybe even sign up for the safe cocoon that she represented. Although, it seemed like the lawyer wasn't planning to go away quietly.

At the last thought, Natalie guiltily looked away from the computer screen. There was a maniac out there, as she well knew, maybe the woman was in trouble?

"You can be so selfish sometimes," she told herself. She just didn't want John to worry about anyone but her, certainly not his ex-lover. With a sigh, Natalie pushed her files away and grabbed her wallet out of the desk drawer. As she did so, she noticed her rabbit eared copy of Marcie's book. She quickly took it out and went to the lobby to wait for their delivery.


	17. Found and Lost

I Thought It Was You - 17?

Summary: The night of the diner fryer murder, John calls Natalie back into the station for questioning. He is still overcome with emotion and admits his feelings for her. She passes out, but not in shock. She's been poisoned and it happened at Llanfair that night. If John hadn't called her in, she probably would have died in her bed and not been found until morning. Easy walks into the hospital and overhears John declaring his love for Natalie to Michael and they break up - after which she breaks the pearls off her neck and all over the hospital floor. Vicki is relieved when John invites Natalie to stay with him so he can keep an eye on her. They make love and plan to embark on a future together when the KC case is over. They still haven't had a real date yet. Back at work, Easy's mother rushes in to report her "Cookie" missing. Last seen, Natalie took her copy of the KC book out of her desk drawer.

>>>>>>>>

"Where's Natalie?" John asked Bo as he closed the Commissioner's office door behind him.

"I think she went to the lobby to pick up our lunch order? She'll be fine in the police station." Bo was staring at the case board they had put up behind his desk. On it were pictures of the Killing Club victims, attempted victims and possible victims. Under each photo were notes of clues and connections they had made.

"We found Evangeline."

"Really? Where?" Bo turned around.

"She's in Harrisburg working on an appeal she has next week before the State Supreme Court. She was surprised to find out that her mother came to town to declare her missing."

"Her mother set it up?"

"I think she was testing me."

"We're going to have to pick her up for filing a false report and wasting police resources."

"Do we have to, Bo?" John asked.

"Yes. We can't let angry mothers make false reports because their daughters got dumped. Nora will cut her a deal and she'll get a slap on the wrist. A fine to cover some of our costs. Her daughter can defend her."

John shrugged and looked out the window blinds to see if Natalie was back at her desk yet.

"Why don't you just go down and make sure she's all right," Bo waved John out of his office.

"I'll be right back."

Bo shook his head, but he was smiling and went back to studying the board. The poisoning of Natalie just didn't fit the rest of the profile.

>>>>>>>

John got down to the lobby, but Natalie was nowhere in sight. He went up to the security desk and asked if anyone had seen her.

"She was right here a few minutes ago. She stopped over and said hello. Said she was waiting for lunch. Then we had to check a group in. Haven't seen her since."

"Was there anyone else around?" John asked.

"No. I figured she was going to go sit over there and wait. She had a book in her hand."

"A book?" John asked.

"A hard cover, had a lot of post-its stuck in it like she was studying something," the guard told John.

"Thanks." John walked over to the lobby chairs. With a frustrated sigh he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed Natalie's cell number. It kept ringing and then went to voice mail. Frustrated, he left her a terse message and paced around a few steps. The sound of crackling paper caught his attention and he looked down and saw a post-it note stuck to his shoe.

He bent over and picked it up.

"Arrow in Buchanan Preserve?"

"Damn it, Natalie." John swore to himself.

He took out his phone and called another number.

"Where's your sister?"

"What do you mean? I left her at the police station not even fifteen minutes ago! Did you lose her already?" Rex yelled at him.

"You were conspiring with her at the station and now she's gone. What the hell are you two planning?"

"She just asked me to look around for Evangeline. I figured she's holed up in some hotel to make you crazy. If anything's happened to my sister, man!"

"We found Evangeline, she's fine. Natalie took her Killing Club book and left."

"Dammit. I'll be right there." Rex cut the call off before John could tell him not to bother.

John went back to the guards and had them use the monitors to try and spot her. He grabbed the phone and called up to to the station. Then he called Bo.

"She's gone. I found a note of hers about the next murder in the book. It has a possible location, the Buchanan Preserve."

>>>>>>>>>

Natalie sat up with a start. Her heart was pounding and there was a metallic taste in her mouth. She looked around and saw that she was in the woods.

"What the hell?" she whispered. She stood up and tried to remember how she got there. The last thing she remembered was talking to Sam and Burrell in the lobby while she was waiting for Charlie to bring the lunch order.

She spun around as she heard a noise to her right. Before she could process what she saw she was being tackled to the ground. She hit her head on a rock and had the wind knocked out of her. As she gasped she felt the body move off and run in the direction she had heard the noise.

She pushed herself to her knees and struggled to catch her breath.

"Natty!" Rex knelt down and grabbed Natalie in a hug.

She let him pull her up and put her arms around him.

"What the hell happened?" she asked.

"That."

She turned and looked at where Rex was pointing. She shuddered as she saw the arrow sticking out of the tree, right where her head was moments ago.

"The next killing in the book."

"I thought McBain and I both told you to stay at the police station," Rex said.

Before Natalie could answer John came stalking back and spun Natalie around to face him. He gripped her arms and shook her.

"I know I did. How the hell could you be so stupid and reckless! You can't do this to me! I can't lose someone else I love. Do you understand?" He knew he was shouting, but he didn't care.

"I didn't. You're hurting me."

"Sorry." John let go and turned sideways and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he put his hands on his hips and struggled to rein in his temper.

"John."

"Not right now, Natalie. Not right now. I'm so angry with you right now for this stunt."

"John, I didn't do anything. I don't know how I got here!"

"What?" John turned around.

"The last thing I remember was talking in the lobby with Burrell and Sam. Then I woke up here and then you tackled me."

"You didn't come here on your own?" He pulled the post-it out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"This is from my book, I had it in the lobby with me. And my wallet. I don't know what happened."

"Damn it." John waved over a uniformed officer and asked for an evidence bag.  
"You're bleeding."

He pushed her hair back and inspected the cut on her forehead. "We need to get you to the hospital to have that looked at. Do you have a headache?"

"No. It's fine."

"What's wrong?" John leaned down.

Natalie looked up at him, the fear darkening her blue eyes.

John sighed and put his arms around her and pulled her trembling body against him. He closed his eyes and rubbed her back.


	18. I've Wanted to do That

I Thought It Was You – 18?

Summary: Natalie is found in the woods after disappearing from the LPD lobby waiting for lunch. Finding a post-it note from Natalie's KC book he thinks she's snuck out to help solve the case. He and Rex find her in the Buchanan Preserve. He knocks her over just in time as an arrow buries itself in the tree right where her head was. Furious, John begins to berate her. She interrupts him to explain she was drugged and brought there. He notices her head is bleeding from where she hit a rock on the way down.

A/N: Yeah, shamelessly stole from the dumbass spoiler for next week

>>>>>>>

"John, I don't want to go to the hospital."

"You." John stopped and looked at her. "I'll call Michael to meet us at the hotel."

"Let Rex take me back, you need to get back to work."

"I swore I wasn't going to let you out of my sight. I did once. I'm not doing it again."

"You can't by me twenty-four hour bodyguard." Natalie shivered and swayed slightly.

"Hey." John put his hand on her arm and moved her towards the force car he had come in. With his other hand he speed dialed his brother.

He opened the back door and sat Natalie down and kneeled in front of her while he wrapped up his conversation with Michael.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I feel fine. I just...why is this happening?" Natalie sighed in frustration and leaned back on the seat.

"I'm going to find that out. You're going to help me."

"I am?" she asked, perking up.

"Michael is meeting us at the hotel. When he's done we're going to over everything from the past few days with a fine tooth comb. You have the answer in there."

"Gut feeling?" Natalie asked.

"Yes."

>>>>>>>>

"You really should have stitches put in that gash."

"I hate stitches. They scar." Natalie was sitting on the couch in John's room.

"Dr. Morrison won't leave scars. Her stitches are immaculate. You don't want to mar that beautiful face."

"You think I'm beautiful?" Natalie teased as Michael bent over her and put a bandage over the wound.

"Watch it brother," John warned.

Startled, Michael looked up at John.

Natalie laughed and her eyes glittered.

John caught her eye and smiled back and then looked back down at his notes.

"I'm done. Try to get her to the hospital, John."

"I've spent enough time in the hospital in the past week, thanks."

John and Michael exchanged a silent look before Michael began to pack up his supplies.

When Michael was gone, Natalie walked over to John and looked down at what he was reading. He put his hand out and captured her hand without looking.

"We never did have lunch."

"Go order something. We have time to eat before Andrew gets here."

"The hypnotist?" John had explained what he had in mind on their way back to the hotel. Natalie was uneasy with letting someone dig around in her brain, but if John thought it would help she was willing to try.

Sensing her uneasiness, John looked up from the question list he was devisin and pulled her closer. "It'll be all right." He put his pen down and slid his other hand around her waist. With his teeth he lifted her shirt and pressed his lips to her stomach.

"Hungry?" Natalie asked, her voice raw with desire.

John nodded, rubbing his stubble over her sensitized skin.

Natalie slid her hands into his hair and closed her eyes.

John undid her pants and slid them off her hips to pool around her ankles. Her panties followed.

Natalie sighed as John spread her thighs and slid his finger back and forth over her moist center. Her head fell back as he grasped the back of her thighs and pulled her forward and over his mouth. Natalie's moans filled the room as John tasted and tortured; his tongue and lips were all that touched her and it was all she was conscious of as she spiraled up the pinnacle of pleasure. Slowly, with practiced strokes he pushed her tighter until she was pulsing over him. Still he would not release her. He pulled her more deeply over him and she gasped and saw stars. Her movements got more urgent and he finally let her go. With a special sweep of his tongue he let her fall into the ocean of pleasure that consumed all of her senses. Her cries filled the room, but she couldn't hear herself. She was lost in the tunnel of ecstasy he had built inside her.

Meanwhile, he released his own aching member.

As her movements slowed John slid his wet tongue up her body and let her collapse in a heap over his lap. He clawed his fingers into her hair and pulled her mouth against his, feeding her her own taste and relighting the flames that flickered inside her. He moved underneath her and thrust his naked manhood inside her, setting off another storm that rocked her body over and around him. He thrust up and inside her, caught up in her waves of pleasure and within minutes he was flooding her with his own release. The feel of his hard pulses set off another wave of ecstasy.

It was a while later when awareness began to seep back in. Natalie's head was resting on John's shoulder and she still sat sprawled in his lap and he was still inside her. Suddenly, he began to tremble. Worried, she lifted her head and looked at his face.

"What's so funny?"

"Do you know how many times I have wanted to do that to you in the office?"

Natalie shook her head.

"I can't count that far back."

"That far?" Natalie asked.

"Oh yeah." John began to kiss her again.


	19. And things take a turn

I Thought It Was You - 19/20

Summary: A little killing club killer, a little smut, a little unexplained poisoning and a worried John.

A/N: If I don't end this story now, it's never going to end and I'll never be able to write something new! So please forgive the farcical nature of this ending. I think it will entertain. And listen, just because Dena the Hack did it, don't shoot me. I've thought this was the case for a long, long time. Thanks for all the fantastic feedback!

The last part will be the epilogue.

Dedicated to the Queen Jolie, as crowned by the Loonatics.

>>>>>>>>>>

John handed Natalie a glass of water then he stalked around to the back of the couch as the hypnotist talked quietly to Natalie. John paced towards the door and then spun around and went the other way. He could see that Natalie was shaking, but the hypnotist, Andrew Bission, had waved him away. He was going out of his skin.

"John?"

Natalie's query snapped him out of the rage into which he was slipping. In a second he was sitting next to her. He took her hands in his and looked into her face wondering if she could ever forgive him.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?"

"I know you care for her."

John looked down at their joined hands, a troubled look on his face.

"This is my fault. Wait," John said when Natalie opened her mouth to interrupt.

"I knew that she was falling in love with me, but I kept leading her on. I had hoped that I would be able to love her, but I couldn't. You already had me heart. It wasn't fair to her."

"It doesn't justify what she's done. Copying Marcie's book to cover killiing me. I just wish I had remembered this earlier, before that girl was killed. Before anyone was killed."

Natalie shivered. The images that she didn't realize were there flooded her mind. All the pieces that Andrew's techniques helped her fit together. How Evangeline was always around before a murder and at the police station afterwards. The things she had said to Natalie that didn't make sense at the time. The face she had seen in the woods when she first came to. The mint she had given Natalie before she got into the car with Antonio outside the Diner.

"It could all be coincidence."

"The woods? When we thought she was missing?" John picked up his phone and dialed Bo.

"I wonder how Marcie will feel about this. She was always singing Evangeline's virtues." Natalie lifted the glass off the coffee table and took another sip.

>>>>>>

"You shouldn't be here, you're a witness."

Natalie turned to look at her Uncle as he entered the small, dark room. She had been watching Evangeline's interrogation. John was standing stoically against the wall as one of his newly trained, and competent, officer did the questioning. He was there, as he told her earlier, to rattle the lawyer.

The new assistant district attorney Hugh Hughes was also present to assure that everything went by the book and counter Evangeline's attorney's protests. The attorney was her old boyfriend, the one her family wanted her to marry. The man more suitable than John McBain.

"She tried to kill me three times. She did kill three other people."

"And if we have to go to trial you'll have to testify and this is not..."

"Hugh knows I'm here. He's certain that Ms. Williamson will be striking a deal. She's already given up two of her accomplices."

"Who?"

"Her sister, some wanna be actress. She helped set up Julie and Hudson. And some janitor in her building who has been doing the heavy lifting in return for help with his green card."

"She's not going to be able to avoid prison time."

"I think she's more concerned about losing her law license."

"No one loses their license for murder in Llanview."

Natalie grudgingly agreed.

"She'll make a good jailhouse lawyer."

"That's not all she'll be."

Bo looked at his niece and assistant curiously.

"She just started to explain why she did it."

"Besides the fact that she's a homicidal maniac?"

"Besides that. Shhh."

"Natalie, Natalie, Natalie. It was always about Natalie. Look at me John. Look at me." Evangeline stood up and yelled at John. She ignored her attorney's attempts to quiet her.

"Look at me!" she screeched.

John moved off the wall and turned to face her.

"You stupid fool."

"Stupid?" John spoke for the first time.

"You wanted her so badly you would come to my office and screw me. Do you think I didn't know who turned you on?"

"That's not true."

"Don't lie to me now. It's time for the truth."

"Evangeline," her lawyer warned.

"I know what I'm doing. I'm telling Mr. Cop how many clues he missed." Evangeline ran her finger up John's chest to his chin.

He stiffened, but did not flinch away. His blue eyes, however, were full of rage.

"It was Natalie I wanted. But she wouldn't return my advances. She wanted you, so I took you and I kept you."

"Then why kill her?"

"Because no one, man or woman, will get away with rejecting me."

"That's enough!" Evangeline's lawyer stood up. "I need time to confer with my client."

"Actually, you need time to confer with me." Hugh Hughes in all his practically palindromic alliterative glory stood up and buttoned his suit jacket over his buff body.

Natalie snuck herself a little peek. John couldn't see her through the mirror. However, when she looked up he was unnvervingly looking exactly in her direction.

She shrugged and turned to leave.

"Hey, Natalie."

"Yes?" she turned and looked at her Uncle.

"Why don't you take the next week off to rest."

"What about John?"

"I think he has some time coming now that this case is wrapped up."

"Good." Natalie turned and walked out and headed for John's office.


	20. Epilogue

I Thought It Was You - Epilogue

A/N - thanks for all the encouragement. It's been a blast! Now it's time for new stories...once I finish off Touching You.

>>>>>>>

"I can't believe it costs over twenty bucks to get in there now," John said as he and Natalie walked out of the Ripley's Museum.

"That's for two people, though I can remember sneaking in there for free."

"I bet you can." John put his arm around Natalie's shoulder and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Thanks, John."

"For what?"

"Agreeing to come here on our week off."

"This is perfect, Natalie." John stopped and put his hands on her cheeks. "I didn't want to go to some resort and drink frou frou drinks."

"But you would have if I wanted to." Natalie shrugged and put her hands over John's. "That's not me. That's not us."

"That's not the way we are," John intentionally recalled their words from a long time ago.

Natalie smiled and gripped the lapels on John's leather jacket. He put his hands down on her shoulders as the ocean breeze lifted her hair. It was an unusually cool week in AC for summer, at least in the evenings. Neither of them were regretful about it. Fall was both of their favorite season.

"What?" he asked motioning at her grip with his chin.

"How about we go back to the room and rediscover how we are?" her voice was a seductive growl.

John took a deep breath and bent his head down towards hers.

"I love how much we have in common. I love you."

Natalie slid her hands up his chest and around his neck.

"I love you, too."

Behind them, the surf of the Jersey shore crashed and roared.

>>>>>>

Thanks - it's been a fun ride!


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